High Tech Customer
This company is leading innovation in the semiconductor industry, based in Veldhoven, The Netherlands. They provide hardware, software, and services for mass production through lithography and is the only supplier of EUV machines in the world.
What has been used
Challenge
This company sets high standards and requirements when it comes to packaging, handling, and transporting their products. A packaging can only be qualified for use after transport tests to indicate its ability to protect their products against mechanical hazards during handling and transport.
For packaging and transport, terminology is defined that is put to practice for their products; a Clean Assy (CA) which is a two layer plastic cover ensuring the products are safe to enter a cleanroom, a Transport Assy (TA) that is a packaging part that provides mechanical protection (e.g. a flight case) and a Send Assy (SA) which is often a wooden packaging part that facilitates transport to protect contents from function loss resulting from mechanical and climatic hazards. The CA and TA can enter a cleanroom, an SA can only be used outside a cleanroom because of the material (wood) that is used, which is not suited for cleanrooms. For a module of this company, a TA and SA needed to be developed to safely ship the module. The product is mechanically sensitive, which was a key point of attention that had to be considered while designing packaging for transport. In addition, clean assies were needed to pack the module.
For the design and use of Clean Assies (CA), Transport Assy (TA) and Send Assy (SA) were clear guidelines set to which they had to comply. The TA for example was restricted in size and particular fixation and shock protection, while the SA needed to be durable among other things. The development of the CA, TA and SA was needed to transport the module in the United States of America between the company and their supplier.
A drop test for this send assy was part of the requirements, to ensure the packaging solution was protected against transport impact.
Solution
This company and Faes have a long-lasting partnership in The Netherlands. As a result of this cooperation, Faes was asked to develop TA and SA for the company’s US plant. This project has been a close collaboration to ensure the packaging was fully aligned with the semiconductor’s set of requirements. During the creation of the various packaging, there were weekly contact moments between both companies to ensure that everything went according to plan.
After determining the packaging concept, one of Faes’s dedicated engineers designed packaging following all criteria. The engineering phase was followed by the Critical Design Review together with the customer where, in this particular case, FMEA was part of. Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) tests the manufacturability of a design and maps out risks step by step to take measure to minimise or prevent these risks by optimizing the design. Once the design reached the final stage, it went into production at Faes. The first protypes were used to perform impact tests, as the customer requested. Test results were analysed and approved, enabling Faes to finalize the deliverables of this project; CA, TA and SA to pack, handle and transport a module of 2700 x 1500 x 1300 mm in a multi-material packaging within the US.
Results
All assies have been manufactured in-house at Faes and comply with the customer’s approved materials. Additionally, both the TA and SA are reusable packaging that contributes to the company’s program for sustainability and reuse. Faes was able to deliver the required packaging within the given timeframe and meeting all the high standards and requirements set by the semiconductor company.
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